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US has no plans of meeting North Korea officials in PyeongChang Olympics

WION Web Team
New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaUpdated: Feb 12, 2018, 11:56 AM IST
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The Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place at South Korea's Pyeongchang from February 9-25. Photograph:(ANI)

The US State Department on Friday said that they have no plans to meet North Korean officials in the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics. 

"There are no plans to meet with North Korean officials," Katina Adams, a spokeswoman for the State Department's Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said on Friday.

The spokesperson also stated that the US did not have an objection with North Koreas participation and that their participation is not a shocker - she said in response to South Korea breaching international sanctions on the North over their invitation in the games. 

"The United States does not determine which countries may or may not participate in Olympic Games. The modern Olympic Games were born out of an ideal for peaceful sporting competition amongst nations. In that spirit, the United States looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea next month," she added.

She further iterated that North Koreas participation in the games is completely separate from politics. 

Earlier, North and South Korea agreed to field a joint women's ice hockey team and march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

The two Koreas also agreed to hold a joint cultural event at Mount Kumgang on the North Korean east coast before the Winter Games.

The Winter Olympics is scheduled to take place at South Korea's Pyeongchang from February 9-25.

The development between the two countries has brought some ease into their strained relations.

The two sides have also agreed to hold military talks on solving border tensions.